Beamless brake for car-trucks.



PATENTED JAN. 8, 190?. B. S. COFFMAN. BEAMLESS BRAKE FOR CAR TRUCKS.

APPLICATION FILED APB..13.1 906.

2 SHEETSSH.EBT L witnesses Nb. 840,991. PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907 I E. s. OOFPMAN. B/BAMLESS BRAKE FOR GAR TRUQKS.

APPLICATION FILED 1APR.13.190G.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

' [perfect brake.

'lbaZZ whom it 1ztaycb1ocefm Be it knownthatil, Enw D.-

vcombinations ofa; citizen of th and, State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Beamless Brakes for. .GarTrucks, of which specification ,Mydnvention relates 'to so-oalled beambrake which comprises as a part thereof two or more: brake-beams, which can be easily, quickly, and cheaply repaired when neces sary, which oanreadily be applied to trucks 'iiowfiri .usefiwithout substantial -changes, whichshall be-jeificient in, operation, and .withal constitute a'superior means for per-. forming the requisite functionsof a relatively With theseje'nds in view my invention consists'in certain-novelties of construction and I parts, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

.The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodi- -ment'-of the invention and modifications of the brake-lever and push-rod constructed according'to the best modes I have so far devi'sedfor' the practical application of the principle,

, truck with my brake apparatus inoperative position thereon, the lower part of the frame eing broken. away to more clearly show the lever.

rod.

location of the parts. Fig. 2 isa part top plan view'of F1g.' 1. Fig. 3 1s a section'of Fig. 2 on line mm with the push-rod removed.

"Fig; 4 showsedge' and plan views of a brake- Fig. 5 shows plan and edge views of a brake-hanger. F g.'-6 illustrates back plan and side views of a'brake-head. Fig. 7 shows a'modifi'c ation of the brake-lever, and Fig. 8

shows amodified construction-of the push- Referring to the several figures, the numeral l designates the wheels of the truck;

S Germa n, r r H s, residing at ;Chfton-Forge,--1n the county of Alleghany the following is a I Specification of Letters iPa teitt, App1ication filed AD lllS, 1906- Serial No, 311;l50.

' less brakes forcantrucks, theobjectbeing, theproduction of .a brake of this species -which shall-beoheaper in first cost than the Figure 1 is a- 'side elevation view of a car- Patented at. 8,1907

and the truck square, 9, the brake-hang ..ers, each having a hole 10 at the top end and two legs 11, ll, perforated at the ends,'the rods 8 8 being passed throughthe holes 10, so that the hangers will be suspemled from the rods 12, the brake-shoes; 13, the bral'ze heads, to which theshoes are detaehably secured in any manner; 14, perforated .ears at the rear surface of the head; 15, the open space between the ears; '16 in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and *4, the brake-levers, bent, as shown, so as to form a slot at the lower end;"17, a hole at the top end; 18, holes at the lower end 19, holes intermediate theends; 20, the push-rod comprising two rods threaded to receive a turnbuckle 2land at their remote ends forged flatand perforated as shown, and one end having a series of holes; 22, jam-= nuts on'the rods; 23,, bolts which secure theot-h'er'end of the rod within the slot at the .lower end of the lever; 25, a belt which passes through the intermediate holesin the brake-lever}: the holes in the legs of the hanger, and the holes in the ears upon the back of the brake-head; 26, the floating lever; 27, journals at the end of the lever, which are located within the holes 17 17 at the top ends of the levers; 28, cotter-pins; 29, a hole at the center of the lever, preferably located at the rear edge thereof, and 30 is a brake-lever rod connected to the air or hand brake mechanism, which in applyii'lg the brake moves the floating-lever away from i the truck-bolst er.

It will be observed that the legs of'the hangers are located outside the ears upon the brake-head and that the brake-levers in Figs. 1. toS are outside of the brake-hanger legs.

Byreference to Fig i it will be seen that the long arm of the lever (dcsignated'by A) is offset from the center line (1 (I of the brakehead, so that in applying the brake the said arm will-not come in contact with the flange of the wheel. This is an important feature ofconstruction. Most freight-car trucks already constructed have a wheel-base of five feet 'orfive feet two inches, and the space between the pairs' of wheels upon each side almost completely occupied by the bolster, spring-seat, springs, and column-guides for the bolster; Consequently there is not suilicient working space between the wheel-tread and bolster tor the shoe, brake-head, hanger;-

- and lever. By forming an offset in the lever the ap 'aratus, as shown, can be made practical. T e floating lever can also belocated between the airs of wheels and below the top "surface of t e bolster.- The relative lengthofthe long arm of the lever'A to the short 'arm B is preferably three to one, and it will be noted between the ears upon the back of the brake-- head. The lower perforated end' is straddled by the lower perforated end F of thepush-rod. (Shownb Fig.8.) The up er end of the. ush-rod (s own by Fig. .8), ts

within-the s 0t 15 at the back of the brakehead whichholds the shoe for the-oppositewheel. The, end of the push-rod may be curved, as shown, so, that the body thereof will clear the sprin plank or seat when the same are located re atively near the track.

' The operation of the brake is obvious from the drawings.

In advancing the" floating lever the shoes carried by the brake-han ers are forced against the treadsof, the whee s in directions perpendicular to the centers of the axles or iournals, as shown by the dotted lines. f

From the fore 0mg description, taken in connection with t e drawings, it will be seen that I have produced a beainless brake which fulfils all the conditions set forth as the purposes of the invention. Modifications and changes may of course be introduced in prac; tice which will not constitute substantial departures.

hat I claim is-- 1. The combination in a beanil'css brake, of brake shoes and heads; hangers forsuspending .the same; two brake-levers, two

ush-rods and a floating lever'c'onnected at its ends with the ends of the brake-levers; the brake-levers being pivoted each between its .ends to a brake-head and the push-rods each secured at one end direc-tl to 'a brakepush-rods; and means for connecting the 1 Long arms of the brake-leverswitha brakerod; the said brake-levers each having its long arm offset from the plane of the wheel The ofl'set brake-- an important feature of the The upper end D is -perfo'-, rated and fits within the slot or' open spac'e' 15 so as' not to comein contact with/the flange thereof when the brakes are applied. k,

bra e,

ing the longarm thereoiofiset from theplane ofthe wheel; and each pushrod se-l cured at one end to a brake-head andat the other end to the short end of a brake-lever.

4; The. combination in "a beamle'r'sbrake, of brake heads and shoes; hangersg'two piv oted brake-levers, each having-its long arm ofl'setfrom the plane of the wheel; two pushrods one end of each being secured to a brake-1 headand the other end. to the shortarm of a brake-lever; and aifioating. lever secured to the brake-levers.

5. The combination in abeamless brake,

mediate of its ends tofa brake-head;- two push-rods and means for eormeeting the long arms of the brake-levers. with a brake-rod,

' the arrangement of the pn'slr'rods and brake levers being such that in applying'the brakes the shoes will be forced against the treads of the wheels in lines perpendicular-to the centers of theaxles.

6.,Thecombinat-ion in a beamless brake,

of brake heads and shoes; hangers for the same; two brake-levers each pivoted internie diate of its ends to a brake-head, and having its long "arm bent; two push-rods; and a heating lever located between a pair of wheelsaiid pivotally conneeted to the long arms of the brake-levers:

7. Thec'ombination in abeamless brake, of brake headsv and shoes; hangers supporting the same; two brakedevers each pivoted between its ends .to a brake head two pushrods eaeh pivoted atone end to a brake head and at'the other end to the short arm of a' brake-lever; and means for connecting the longarms of the levers with a brake-rod, the

. intermediate of its ends to a brake-head, and

having 1ts long arm offset from the plane of'the wheel and means for connecting each said long arm with a brake-rod;

In testimony whereof I: affix'my "s gnature in presence of two witnesses. EDWARD S. COFFMAN. Witnesses:

Jonx P trxndn, B. V. Boom. I 

